Such Bad from Such Good
by thatawesomeone
Summary: Steven sees his universe become filled with chaos as he finds a hate crime has been committed on an innocent victim in Beach City. Unable to comprehend the reason for the act of violence, Steven finds himself scared for the well being of his friends, family, and others. Will he learn that humans aren't all innately good? Based off the play and movie "The Laramie Project."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys! This is my first fanfic and I hope you enjoy this. I do have to warn people, this is a pretty serious topic. Worst part is this is based off a true story so the major events in this fic did actually happen to someone. I might even change the rating from T to M. We'll see. Anyways, pease enjoy :)**

* * *

 _ **"Hate. It has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet." -Maya Angelou**_

* * *

Beach City is a small town, to say the least. It's a town where everybody knows everybody. Or at least, if you didn't know someone, you knew someone who knows them. News always spread quicker than wildfire, and rumors never stayed just "rumors." However the perks of living in such a small town included getting around town a lot faster. Everyhting seemed like walking distance. That's why Steven was confused when Connie was fifteen minutes late.

"I don't understand. Connie's never been this late before…"

Steven waited at the window, growing impatient. Connie was supposed to go on a mission with him and Pearl again today. Ever since Jasper, and ever since their continued fusion training, Connie has wanted to try fighting with a gem monster again. So when Steven called saying they needed her to go on a mission with them, she readily agreed. So where was she?

"Hmm. I hope everything's okay. This kind of tardiness isn't like her." Pearl commented. "You don't think she would suddenly cancel on us, do you?"

"Why would she? She sounded so excited!" Steven sighed. "I don't think she would chicken out either…"

"Connie's a chicken…?"

"No, no. It's an expression. Its means she bailed because she's scared. Which she didn't. She wouldn't." Steven explained to the confused gem.

"Oh. Well I agree she wouldn't. But I still don't see how comparing her to a farm animal implies that she-"

"Oh! Wait! There she is! She's coming up the steps!"

Connie ran in through the door, panting. "So sorry I'm late!" She set her bag down, wiping sweat from her forehead. "The road I usually take to get here was closed, so I had to take the long way around!"

"Closed? Why would they 'close' a road?" Steven asked.

"It happens. I think there was some construction going on. I couldn't tell." Connie started searching through her fencing bag. "It's about time too. That road needs to be re-paved. Its practially falling apart."

"Well whatever the reason, we still have a mission to go on. Are you two ready?" Pearl asked, walking towards the warp pad.

"Yes ma'am!" Connie said, pulling out Rose's sword from the bag. Steven nodded in agreement. "Ready!" Then they ran onto the warp pad with their mentor. In a beam of light, the three traveled to their destination, ready to fight.

* * *

 _ **Earlier that day...**_

Laramie Road was an ideal place for people who liked to ride bikes, jog, hike, et cetera. It's a long, narrow stretch of land with not many steep slopes, a gorgeous view over the ocean, and it was a handy shortcut from the suburb of Beach City, down to the sea side. It's the same road Connie liked to take to Steven's home. Now a days, the road has become too jagged for regular passers by.

A cyclist by the name of Brock was making his way down this road. He was training for Ocean Town's upcoming bike race. Brock knew it was going to be challenging race. Geographically, Ocean Town had many hills, sandy beaches, and rocky roads all in one town. Practicing laps around Beach City was a perfect way of training. He figured there wouldnt be as many tourists or trainees in Beach City either, so that was a bonus. Brock also thought that Laramie Road was an ideal road for getting used to bumpy environments. Even though it was slightly dangerous.

He had already biked six miles, and was determined to get in seven miles by sundown. Being somewhat new to this whole "training for a twenty mile race", he relaized how difficult this was going to be. As he pedalled, he had sweat dripping down his forehead, but he forced his tired legs to push him further down the path. Brock panted and weazed shallow breaths, almost ready to quit. Unfortunately, he was so focused on his exhuastion, he didn't notice the rock in his path. His front tire collided with the rock, halting his bicycle, and sending Brock flying over a handle bars. Brock landed on his side roughly, scraping his elbow, forearm and hip. Luckily for him, he had a helmet on.

Groaning and sitting up, he examined his wounds. Nothing major, but he knew he needed to be more careful if he were to come down this road again... which he probably shouldnt. Standing up, he reached to pick up his bike, until he noticed something.

On the fence outlining Laramie Road, ahead of Brock about fifty feet, a figure was slumped against the fence. Brock squinted, using a hand to sheild the sun in his eyes. It almost looked like... a person? Brock picked up his bike and walked closer to the figure. It almost seems like a scarecrow. Skinny, lifeless. Why would there be a scarecrow here though? What was it supposed to scare away? This could be a prank. Just to freak some tourists out or something. But tourists never come down this road. Hardly anyone does anymore. Who were they expected to scare? The closer Brock got, the less he was convinced this was any kind of joke.

The thing Brock saw in front of him wasn't a scarecrow. It wasn't a prank. It wasn't even a thing at all. It was a person.

That's all he needed to know before he pedalled back into town, determined to get help.

* * *

"Whew. Glad that's taken care of!" Pearl said thankfully as she sent their newly bubbled gem into Garnet's room. The three of them had just warped back into the house, and Steven couldn't have been more excited for Connie.

"I can't believe how insane that was! I thought that thing was gonna crush you! But then you did that thing, and dodged it- then you cut off that tentacle thing! Then you- just- aw man it was cool!"

Connie blushed at Steven's praise. "Well you helped! I liked how you used your shield and hit the monster in three of it's eyes! You practically blinded it!"

Steven chuckled. Pearl smiled at the two. "You both did an excellent job today. Next time Garnet will come with us. I think during our next mission, she'll want to see Stevonnie in action."

"Yes ma'am!" Connie beamed, then she walked into the living room where she had previously left her stuff. She reached into her bag and retrieved her cellphone. She had a new message from her mother. "Huh. Steven do you think your dad can give me a ride home? My mom had an emergency down at the hospital, and without that shortcut I don't want to walk home."

"Yeah sure! I don't think he'll mind. Here, I'll walk you down to the car wash." Steven offered. He helped Connie with her fencing stuff and held the door open. "Ms. Knight" he said, cordially. Connie chuckled. "Thank you kind sir!" They both giggled as they were leaving. Steven yelled over his shoulder, "I'll be back soon Pearl!"

"Okay! Just don't be out too late! Be careful!" Pearl yelled back as the front door slammed shut.

Steven and Connie recounted their adventures from that day and joked around some more as they approached Greg's car wash. Greg was listening to the radio, humming along as he waxed his Dondai. He was so caught up in his job, he didn't notice his son and his bestfriend approaching.

"Hey dad!" Steven called out.

Greg turned around, "Hey Schtu-ball! Hey Connie! Glad you're here! I want your opinion."

"Dad we already had this debate. The Snake Skins will always be a better band than The Reptiles!"

"Not the opinion I was looking for, but I still think you're wrong. Now, what I want to know is which wax do you think looks better on the Dondai?" Greg held up two different containers of wax. "The Wax King's Wax, or Mr. Miyagi's Wax?"

Steven and Connie examined the two spots on the car where Greg had been waxing. "I'm not sure..." Steven said.

"What's the different between the two?" Connie asked.

"Well you see the wax in this has... Well the King's wax is... and the uhh... I actually have no idea." Greg admitted. Steven shook his head. "We'll decide later. Anyways, can you give Connie a ride home?"

"Well sure! Hop on in!" Greg opened the car door for Connie. "Steven I can drop you off back at the house afterwards."

"Okay!" Steven hopped into the car next to Connie, and Greg started the car. Pulling out of the driveway, Greg forgot about the radio he was using to listen to music. As it continued playing rock and roll hits, it was suddenly interuptted.

 _"We interuppt the Top Ten Rock and Roll Hits playlist for an important news flash. Last night a 21 year old homosexual male was kidnapped, beaten, robbed and was tied to a fence left to die. He was found this afternoon by a cyclist and is now in the Beach City hospital, and he is in critical condition. Sources say he was tortured and robbed because of his sexual orientation. As of now this is the first hate crime we've seen in Beach City thus far..."_

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 **A/N: Sorry I have to end it here. But I'll try to get the next chapter out sometime this week. Hope you liked it and please let me know what you think! Review, PM, favorite, follow, whatever! I'll see you in the next chapter! Buh-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. -Martin Luther King Jr.**

* * *

"C'mon, C'mon! Fight! Attack! Jump! No, no, no ... Noooooo!"

The disappointing "game over" music played from Steven's new game, Sorcerers and Griffons. "Dang it! This level is so hard!" Steven groaned.

Garnet sat beside him on his bed watching him play, thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Pearl was in the kitchen washing dishes and quietly humming. Amethyst was snoring on the couch, stirring slightly from Steven's vocal frustration.

Steven sighed, the "Try Again" screen was taunting him. "Are there any possible futures where I beat this level?" he asked Garnet.

"…You'll have a better chance if you use that fire power-up." Garnet replied, adjusting her shades.

"Awww. I was saving that for the boss level…" Steven dropped his controller in defeat. Garnet smirked and ruffled his hair in comfort.

"Steven why don't you take a break? You've been playing that silly game for a while now." Pearl suggested.

"Yeah you're right." Steven clicked the "quit" option and set his controller down.

"Could you guys keep it down! Gem trying to sleep here!" Amethyst called out, adjusting her position on the couch. Pearl sighed in annoyance at Amethyst's laziness and continued rinsing dishes. Garnet got up from Steven's bed and moved to sit with Amethyst on the couch, enjoying a quiet, peaceful day inside. Steven started unplugging his game console, trying to think of what to do next. He looked at the time, and realized Crying Breakfast Friends is usually on at this time. Turning the TV back on, he clicked buttons on the remote to see if his beloved show was there. Unfortuneately it wasn't. Just more of that show, Inter-dimensional Family Friend, which Steven didn't particularly care for. Then he decided to flip through more channels to see what he could find. Or maybe he and the gems could watch a fun movie tonight. Steven stopped at the "Beach City News" channel, giving up. A blonde woman wearing too much make up, and too much intonation in her voice was making hand gestures in front map of Beach City.

 _"It looks like we have a lot of moisture coming up from the south. We should expect a little rain with winds blowing at about 10 miles per hour…"_

"Steven, I thought you were taking a break from all that technology." Pearl commented.

"I know, I know, but I wanted to see if Crying Breakfast Friends was on. But it looks like nothing interesting is on... Except the news." Steven as blankly watching the screen. Garnet sat up from her spot on the couch, sensing something was wrong.

 _"Thank you, Donna. I know me and my wife will enjoy the warm weather!"_ The news anchor, Jim Pickles, paused to give a hearty laugh. When his laughter died down, he peeked at his papers in front of him and continued. _"In other news a sad event occurred this week in Beach City..."_ Steven's interest was immediately caught. Garnet's bad instinct didn't settle and Pearl looked up from her work on the dishes.

Amethyst yawned and stretched. "What's going on?" She asked tiredly.

"Shh!" Steven shushed. "Jim Pickles said something bad just happened in Beach City!" Pearl stepped out of the kitchen and got closer to Steven's room. Garnet and Amethyst adjusted their positions on the couch so they could face the TV. Steven turned up the volume and they all waited expectantly.

" _T_ _he local nursing home faced a tragedy when oldest twins in Beach City passed away, just a week before their 98th birthday. Albert Jones died last Thursday night around midnight, and sources say his brother Alexander died the following morning. Now, today on their shared birthday, their family says that they will…"_

"Wow. Only 97 years old. I remember I could barely summon a whip at 97! And these geezers just died!" Amethyst laughed.

"Amethyst! Don't be insensitive! Humans are very frail beings and they have short lives. Of course they're going to die sooner than us! It's not… Steven, are you alright?" Pearl interrupted herself when she noticed Steven sniffle. He had tears in his eyes as he listened to the story. "They were brothers who died at the same time! They didn't even get to see their 98th birthday!" he wiped his eyes, and the crystal gems all exchanged looks, all thinking the same thing.

"Don't worry bud. I'm sure they're gonna celebrate their birthdays together… wherever they are now." Amethyst said, uncertainly.

Steven sniffed again. "You think so?" he asked.

"Absolutely." Garnet replied, more confident and comforting than the previous gem.

 _"We're gonna take a break, but we'll be right back! And stay tuned. After the break we'll get an inside look on the case of Patrick Foster. The 21 year old who was hospitalized after a-"_ Steven took the remote and turned the TV back off. He heard enough of the news for today.

Pearl returned to the dishes, pondering outloud. "That's too bad... It is a strange coincidence though. Two brothers, in the same city, a week before their anniversaries of being alive, pass away within the same 24 hours? No wonder it made the news."

"Yeah but they were twins!" Steven added.

"Yeah, so?" Amethyst questioned.

"Well they say twins are like, connected in a way. Some can feel another's pain, or they can read each other's minds… I think they were connected, like, spiritually! Or something." Steven explained.

Pearl shook her head. "But theoretically speaking, humans can't do any of those things. Even if they were born at the same time, that doesn't mean-"

Pearl was interrupted by Steven's phone. Steven grabbed his phone from where it was charging and opened it. "Oh, my dad wants to meet for lunch today. I should go meet him at Fish Stew Pizza." Steven said, typing away on his phone.

"Alright. Have fun." said Pearl, drying one of the last dishes. "Not too late okay? And don't spend too much time on your communication device! Remember, humans are easily addicted to technology!" Pearl called after him.

Steven smirked. "I won't!" Then he closed the screen door behind him and walked down the beach.

"I still can't believe the kinds of things they announce on public television. Everything's always centered around death and destruction. Ugh! It's disgusting. Steven shouldn't be watching those kinds of things." Pearl complained, drying her hands.

"Well, whatever gets people's attentions..." Amethyst shrugged. She lifted her head and looked at Garnet. "You seemed pretty interested though."

"I Saw Steven get upset over a different story." Garnet vaguely replied.

Amethyst and Pearl shared a glance, knowing she meant she saw something with her future vision. "How upset?" asked Pearl.

"Very upset."

"More upset than seeing two old twins die?" Amethyst questioned.

"Yes." As stoic as Garnet usually was, she did seem a little shaken from whatever story she Saw.

"Well, what did you see?" the purple gem asked, curiously.

Garnet stood up. "It doesn't matter. That wasn't the story on the news, so it didn't happen."

"Are you sure?" Pearl asked. "If something happened, we should help."

Garnet paused in thought. "No It couldn't happen... Not in Beach City."

* * *

The strange thing about storms is that they're hard to predict. Of course, it's easier to predict when you have high tech barometers and weather satellites. However, the thing that makes them complicated is that there's always a calm before the storm. Everything seems perfect, until there's a sudden change of speed. Wind picks up, dark clouds move in, and suddenly you have to run for cover. That's why Steven felt suspicious as he walked down the boardwalk to Fish Stew Pizza. It was a lovely day, sun shining, birds singing, and it seemed like the time to be outside enjoying it all… but there were no people. Fun Land was deserted, the boardwalk was empty, and a lot of the smaller shops were closed for the day. It was unusually quiet.

When Steven made it to the entrance of Fish Stew Pizza, he saw only his dad and a few other customers in there. Slower day than usual. His dad was already seated at a back table. Something about his dad seemed a little off today as well.

"Hey dad." Steven greeted cheerfully as he sat down.

"Hey Steven." Greg smiled more as he saw his son. "How have you been?"

Steven shrugged. "I'm fine. I've been trying to beat that one level in a game, but it's pretty frustrating. And emotionally exhausting!" Greg chuckled a little at that. Then a small frown fell on his face. "So… have you seen the news recently?"

Steven frowned as well as he thought about the twins. "Yeah I did. It's pretty sad huh?"

"I'm still baffled by it. I-I just don't want to think about such a terrible crime happening to good people like that, you know? Not here in Beach CIty."

Steven furrowed an eyebrow, confused. "I don't if it was really a crime… I think they lived a long happy life didn't they?"

"21 isn't really considered a very long life, kiddo."

"21? I thought-" Steven was interrupted when Kofi dropped off a pizza at their table. His dad must've ordered for them already. "Oh, thanks Kofi… Where's Kiki? Doesn't she usually help with the shop?"

"I gave her and Jenny the day off today. They're both upset from the news." Kofi quickly explained with his eyes cast down. "I think I'll close the shop early today too."

"We understand. We won't stay too long and keep you busy." Greg told Kofi sympathetically. Kofi nodded and went back into the kitchen. Steven stared after him. _"Everyone seems really upset about those twins."_ he thought to himself.

"So, uh… I ordered our favorite." Greg offered.

"Extra large." Steven smiled.

"And extra fishy." Greg finished, returning his smile. "Thanks dad." Steven said, grabbing a slice. Greg paused for a second, thinking. "Hey Steven… You know that I love you no matter what, right?"

Steven looked up at his dad, a little confused, but appreciative anyways. "Well, of course I know that Dad."

"And you know that I'll accept you no matter who you turn out to be, right?"

"Yeah I know."

"Good. Because you're my only son and... I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

"Thanks dad. This doesn't happen to have anything to do with getting captured by blue diamond and put in a human zoo does it?" Steven asked.

"What?" Greg looked up, "No, no. It doesn't. Not really. I just felt that after the events that have happened... I felt I needed to let you know."

Steven was touched, letting any previous suspicion or confusion vanish. "Wow. Thanks Dad." He said sincerely.

After that the conversation picked up. Steven told Greg more about his gem adventures and his new game, Greg told some stories about what he saw in space (and how they'd make a killer album), and they both laughed as they talked about the humans they saw in the human zoo. When lunch was over, Greg payed and they started leaving the shop. "Thanks Kofi. Take care, alright?" Greg said before he left. Kofi looked up from from where he was wiping off a counter and nodded, refusing to smile back.

Greg exited and the door closed behind him. He looked uncertainly at the sky. Darker clouds were rolling in and the wind was picking up. "Are you sure you don't want a ride back kiddo? I'm not liking this weather."

"No, it's okay Dad. I'm not that far from the temple. I'll see you later though?" Greg nodded and hugged his son tighter than usual, which Steven noticed, but didn't mention.

"I'll see you later Dad!" Steven waved as he walked towards the donut shop. Greg waved back, "See ya Schtu-ball!"

Steven looked at the sky hesitantly. Would he be able to make it back before it started raining? He had no choice but to take his chances and he started walking faster, cursing the weather. How could a place as nice as Beach City sometimes have such bad thunderstorms?

As Steven walked down the street, he stopped when the pizza car pulled up in front of him, with the same squad inside.

"Hey Steven!" Jenny called. Buck nodded towards Steven in a greeting and Sour Cream did some sort of hand sign. Steven smiled and waved. "Hey guys. What are you doing? It's about to rain!"

"The rain can't stop us from anything. We do whatever, no matter the weather." Buck said.

"Yeah but we were heading home now. We're just coming back from Patrick Foster's house. Sending condolences to his family and… you know." Jenny added, her expression changing.

"Patrick Foster? Who's he?" Steven asked.

Buck and Sour Cream shared a look. Jenny raised her eyebrows, continuing. "Acquaintance of ours. Ya know, the one who went to the hospital after the… attack."

"One of your friends was attacked?"

"Haven't you been keeping up with the news?" Buck asked. Steven furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Kind of… Wait, so everyone's upset about something else? Not the oldest twins?"

Jenny shook her head, somewhat surprised. "Hop in. You should see something."

Without much hesitation, Steven got into the back seat of the Pizza car next to Sour Cream. Jenny put the car into a different gear and they started driving. Steven's confusion didn't settle. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Laramie Road." Jenny said.

"Woah really? This soon?" Buck asked. Jenny shrugged. "Steven wants to know what happened, and you guys said you wanted to check out the fence sometime. Let's go."

"Yeah but Patrick was found there _yesterday_. Who's to say that road is even, like, open to the public?" Sour Cream tried to reason, but Jenny kept driving. "It's a common bypass and Patrick's not there anymore. It'll be open.

"But that road… I thought it was closed because there was construction going on there…" Steven thought back to what Connie had said before their mission. That's why she thought the road was closed at least. Buck scratched the back of his neck. "That road's messed up. But there's no construction happening any time soon."

"Yeah. Now Laramie Road is messed up for a different reason." Sour Cream said.

Jenny started to slow down as they came to the scene of the crime. She pulled over and unbuckled her seat belt. "This is it."

Steven got out of the car and looked around. The view was nice for the most part. He could see part of the town and he could look over the ocean. It would've looked nicer if the anticipated storm didn't make the water look so dark and choppy. However, Steven had no idea why they brought him here. "What happened here?"

Buck stared at the fence. "Patrick Foster was found here yesterday. He was… Beat up pretty badly. Tied to that post right there."

Steven looked at the post Buck was referring to. He felt sick when he saw red stains on the fence, and the ground. He got closer to the fence, and felt this indescribable sorrow for this victim as he absorbed this new information. "How bad was it?"

"Bad. He was out here all night before they found him. He's in the hospital now. Think he's in a coma." Jenny replied, melancholy. It was obvious they all felt a great heartache as they stood in front of the crime scene. Steven started breathing heavier, unable to comprehend this kind of hate. This kind of _evil._ "Why? Why would someone do this?"

"Because Patrick's gay." Sour Cream explained.

Steven turned to him, confused. "...Gay?"

"Yeah. Ya know. A queer." said Buck.

Steven only vaguely knew what those terms meant. "Wait- so he was beat up and tied here because he…?"

"Because he liked other guys? Yeah." Sour Cream replied, looking away. Steven shook his head, "But why? What's wrong with that?"

Looks were exchanged between the group, not knowing what to say. "... A lot of people see things wrong with it." Jenny said eventually.

"Really? But he didn't _do_ anything! He didn't deserve this!"

"We agree. This was an all time low for whoever did this to Patrick." Buck replied, bowing his head.

A clap of thunder sounded overhead. Small raindrops started falling, almost one at a time. "Rain's started. We should go." Jenny informed the group. "Steven, do you need a ride?"

"No. I'll walk." Steven said, quietly.

"Alright. Take care."

"See you around little man." Buck added.

"Later." Steven watched as they all got into the car and drove away. He looked back at the fence, absolutely floored. How could anyone find the hate within themselves to do such a horrible thing? What was going to happen to Patrick? What's going to happen to his attacker? Why did this have to happen?

The rain started picking up. Fat raindrops bounced from the ground, and more thunder boomed through the sky. Steven stayed in place though, not caring if he got wet. In his mind, his life in this town seemed perfect and happy before, as if it would last forever. But that's the strange thing about storms. Everything seems perfect, until you have to run for cover. But there was no protection from the storm Steven was facing at this moment. And no barometer or satellite could've ever predicted this.


	3. News: Part One

**A/N: Hello everyone! First, very thankful shout out to all my readers so far! It's very encoruaging for me to see more reviews and follows and favs and whatnot so thank you! :) Next, a little word about this chapter- It's going to be a 2 parter. So this chapter is part 1. I'm sorry, this first half should be pretty slow, but it's too long for one. I already have part two half way done so that should come out tomorrow or maybe monday. We'll see. Anyways, please enjoy**

 **A flower doesn't love you or hate you, it just exists. - Mike White**

* * *

 _"About three days ago, 21 year old Patrick Foster was found more dead than alive…"_

 _"Patrick Foster, a homosexual young man, was beaten and tortured…"_

 _"Sources say the college student Patrick Foster was severely beaten and tied to a fence as a LGBT hate crime…"_

 _"The town of Beach City was shocked to find one resident, the young Patrick Foster, was hospitalized because he was gay…"_

 _"And from all of us here at channel 5 news, we hope Patrick will make a swift recovery. Back to you, Ron."_

It didn't take long at all for the rest of the world to hear about the incident that occurred in Beach City. And it didn't take long for the reporters to catch the "latest scoop" on the story either. The so-called tourist town soon had hundreds of news anchors and reporters in it. They were everywhere. Down on the beach, in town, a lot even went to the fence where Patrick was tied up. However, most of the TV anchors went to the hospital where Patrick was treated. The same one Connie's mom, Dr. Maheswaran, worked at. In fact, Dr. Maheswaran was Patrick's Doctor. She helped perform surgery on him when he first arrived in critical condition, she's been keeping an eye on his condition for the past couple of days, and now she has to do the hardest part. Inform the public. Patrick was too much of a tragic hero in the public eye to not attract attention and publicity. And with over fifty reporters standing outside 24/7 with their cameras and microphones ready, she has to be the one to tell the whole nation about how Patrick is.

Connie was happy and worried for her mom. Although seeing your mom on TV is pretty cool (circumstantially), she knew her mom wasn't particularly comfortable being on everyone's television because of one of her patients. That's why Connie asked if Steven would let her watch the news at his house to support her. Steven couldn't say no.

So that day, the two of them sat in front of the TV watching the local news channel, waiting for the speech to air. The atmosphere was tense between the two. They both realized they hadn't hung out since their last mission. A.k.a the day of the attack.

"...Did your mom say anything about this beforehand?" Steven asked Connie after a few moments of silence. Connie shook her head. "No. When it first made the news, she said she was his doctor, but that's it. I think she wanted to keep doctor-patient confidentiality."

"Wait- But now she's going to be announcing his condition on the news?"

"This is different. If the family agrees or has something they want to announce to the public, the confidentiality agreement is compromised."

Steven nodded. For some reason, he felt just as nervous as Connie did for her mom. He was really was worried about what had happened, and it's not like anyone could answer many questions. No one is even certain who the criminal is yet.

Connie twiddled her thumbs, thinking of what to say. "So… Where are the gems?"

"On another mission I guess." Steven shrugged.

"And you're not going with them?"

Steven shook his head. "Wasn't feeling up to it. Besides, I'd rather hang out with you."

Connie smiled a little. Even though she didn't think waiting for her mom's speech on Patrick was "hanging out", she was glad Steven said that. She had been a bit worried abut Steven. She noticed that ever since this whole incident, Steven hasn't really been himself. He's been more quiet, distant, and constantly brooding. It was sad to say the least. She wished she knew how to help him, but in troubled times like this there's not much you can do.

Soon enough, the commercial break was over and a woman news anchor appeared on the screen. "Oh, I think this is it!" Connie said. Steven grabbed the remote and turned up the volume a little. He didn't want to miss a word.

 _"As most are aware, earlier this week a college freshman by the name of Patrick Foster was beaten and tied to a fence in the town of Beach City. This has been one of the first major hate crimes against the LGBT community in a long time, not only in that town, but in this country."_

A photo of a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes appeared on the screen. The man in the picture was smiling happily. Under the photo in a small text was "picture provided by Foster family." So this is what Patrick looked like.

 _"Patrick was admitted into the hospital after being tied to the fence over night, and is still being treated. For more information on his condition, we go live to our lead reporter, Anne Johnson. Anne?"_

The TV cut to another woman with curly brown hair standing outside the Beach City hospital. The woman, Anne Johnson apparently, had a big smile on her face, despite the fact that the topic she was covering wasn't happy at all. Although who knows? This story could be a breakthrough in her career. At least in her mind it could be.

 _"Thanks Becky! I'm outside the Beach City hospital now. Patrick was admitted in here about three days ago, and right now his doctor is going to come out and give a report on how he's doing. I think I speak for all of us here, but we all are hoping for some good news! Oh, here she comes! Patrick's doctor, Dr. Maheswaran!"_

The camera zoomed in on Mrs. Maheswaran. She was in her doctor's attire. White coat, light blue scrubs, and her hair was pulled back. She had papers in her hand, most likely the Patrick Foster statements. She walked confidently up some steps and up to a podium that was set up for her previously. She adjusted a stand up microphone and cleared her throat, organizing her papers in the process. The crowd of people hushed as she began to speak.

 _"This last Thursday, Patrick Foster was brought into the clinic at 5:46 p.m. in critical condition. His face was covered with blood, except for two trails down his face where his own tears washed away the blood stains. After careful examination and several CAT scans, we found his skull was broken in several places and his brain stem was crushed, along with other severe bruises and cuts on his body. Undergoing surgery, we did our best to repair what was left of his skull, and now Patrick is still in a coma, with assisted breathing, and hasn't shown sign of responsiveness yet. The Foster family would like to say that their privacy is crucial for them during this hard time, and they'd appreciate it if their wishes were to be taken seriously. They would also like thank the people for their well wishes and support for Patrick, as it is giving them some hope for Patrick's eventual recovery. That is all we have on Patrick's case. Thank you."_

Before Dr. Maheswaran could be asked any more questions, she strode off into the hospital, away from the flashing cameras and invasive microphones. Steven and Connie were silent, completely stunned from what they had just heard.

"I… I had no idea it was…" Connie stammered.

"That bad? Me neither." Steven replied.

"Patrick is in a coma now with assisted breathing... how did they even _do_ that? Must've been one horrible beating..."

Steve's guilt over this situation didn't subside one bit. In fact, it became worse at this news. He felt as if he had a huge weight on his shoulders that kept getting heavier and heavier with each breath. He tried to look for some comfort in this ordeal. "I don't suppose that he'll survive, will he?" He asked, trying to find some hope.

Connie sighed. "I'm not a doctor. Just the daughter of one. But that really doesn't sound good. I mean, his attacker damaged his brain stem!"

Steven didn't know enough about the human brain to know exactly how serious that fact was, but he knew it must've been pretty bad. "But… He could still live through this, can't he?"

"I don't think so Steven..." Connie saw that that was probably the wrong thing to say. Steven's face fell, and tears started to form in his eyes. He covered his face with his hands in distress. Connie knew he must've felt terrible about this. Steven probably never knew what a hate crime was until this week. She felt awful for saying such a negative thing already. She put a hand on his shoulder, and tried to find that Steven-y optimism in herself. "Don't worry Steven. You heard what my mom said! They've done everything. My mom's a very talented and well-practiced doctor. Patrick could be fine! Miracles do happen."

Steven lifted his head. "Really?" he asked.

"Really. Let's just wait and see. Who know what could happen?"

Steven offered a small smile and wiped the corners of his eyes. "I know. You're right, I just-"

Before he could continue, a News Flash popped up on the TV. The previous News Anchor, Becky announced it.

 _"We just got the call. Apparently they have arrested the perpetrator responsible for the beating of Patrick Foster. Or should we say, perpetrators?"_

"Wait, there was more than one of them?" Steven asked, shocked.

Mug shots of two twenty-something young men appeared on the screen. One had a short haircut and green eyes, with a cut just above his lip. The other had shaggy brown hair, and a shadow of a beard. They looked like regular college students. These… these kids didn't seem like heartless criminals like Steven was imagining. They looked like normal people.

 _"Isaac Peterson was arrested a few hours ago with his friend, Nathaniel McKinley. The police found some evidence in Isaac's car. Items like Patrick's wallet, Patrick's debit card with his name on it, and Patrick's shoes. Nathaniel was also found with a gun on him. Although it did not seem to be fired, it did have dried blood all over the butt of the pistol. Police confirm it is Patrick's blood and they suspect Nathanial or Isaac may have used it to beat Patrick. Both are going to court, and they refuse to speak without lawyers present. We'll keep you updated, but until then it seems we've run out of time for today. Until next time, this is Becky Phillips, signing off."_

Steven shut off the TV, having seen enough. There was a long and tense silence. Neither of them knew how to feel about this new information. Should they feel happy that the criminals were captured? Should they be glad that they were able to get Patrick's wallet, debit card, and shoes back? Would Patrick even need them anymore? And what would happen to the boys anyway? Jail for the rest of their lives? Or worse?

Connie was the first to speak. "I should head home soon. My parents will be worried." Steven nodded understanding. "Okay. We could go on Lion. That way you can get home faster."

"Alright." Conniestood up from Steven's bed and they walked outside. Luckily for them, Lion was lying under the porch taking a nap. At least they didn't have to wait for Lion, or go searching for him. Steven put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, loudly. Lion woke up immediately and yawned. Slowly standing up, he walked over to Steven and kneeled down, allowing for the kids to hop on his back.

"Neat trick. How'd you teach that to Lion?" Connie asked.

"Dunno. Just figured it out one day. Guess he doesn't like loud noises." Steven shrugged, grabbing hold of Lion's mane. "Anyways, back to your house!" Lion roared and opened the familiar pink vortex. Lion jumped through it, and in no time at all they were in Connie's neighborhood. Usually Steven and Connie would be cheering in delight, but it felt wrong to even think of yelling for joy at the moment. Lion skidded to a stop in front of Connie's house. Connie carefully hopped off. "Thanks Lion." she said, petting his mane. Lion responded with a huff of acknowledgement. Steven was hesitant to say goodbye to his best friend, but he knew she had to go. "So… I guess I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Steven. Say hi to the gems for me!" Connie waved goodbye as she walked inside the house. Steven waved back and sighed. "Let's go back Lion. Then you can finish your nap." Lion perked up and opened the vortex again.

* * *

Back at the temple, Steven walked in the door just in time to see the gems returning from their mission.

"Hey Stev-o!" Amethyst called.

"Hey guys." Steven greeted half heartedly as he sat on the couch. Pearl and Amethyst exchanged a look, and Garnet adjusted her shades apprehensively. Something was definitely wrong with their favorite little man.

"Steven, is everything alright? You aren't sick are you?" Pearl asked.

"No. I'm not sick..." Steven then thought of something he wanted to ask the gem. If anyone could answer this honestly, she could. "Pearl, how much do you know about the brain?"

Pearl was caught off-guard by this question, but thought about it. "Well… When it comes to the human brain, I know only a little." She moved to sit on the couch next to Steven. "I know it has the right and left hemispheres. It has the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe, the cerebellum and a brain stem. It's also all protected by the skull. Let's see there's also-"

"NERD!" Amethyst yelled. Pearl turned to her and grunted in annoyance, and Steven wanted to know more. "Okay okay, but the skull, if it's crushed, can you still live?" Steven interrupted.

"It's possible. Why? What happened?" Pearl asked, concerned.

"Nothing. And what about the stem part? Can you still live if that's crushed?"

"Well, that's more complicated. The stem performs many automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, sleep cycles, digestion, sneezing, coughing, and swallowing… Wait why are you asking... Oh my stars did you crack your skull?!" Pearl started prodded and poking Steven's head to look for any dents or fractures. Amethyst laughed. "Do you really think he'd be conscious if he cracked his head open?"

"You never know with humans now a days. Steven is your vision blurry? How many fingers am I holding up?" Pearl held up two fingers in front of Steven's face. Steven pushed her hand away. "I'm fine. I just want to know, can you survive if both these things happen to you?"

Pearl looked at him very confused, but shook her head anyway. "Chances are highly unlikely. Near impossible if they happened simultaneously. Although if you were to say-"

"That's fine. I'm going bed. Goodnight." Steven said, abruptly getting up from his spot. Amethyst and Pearl looked surprised. "Steven are you sure you didn't hit your head-" Pearl started to ask.

"I'm sure." Steven grabbed his pajamas from his room and walked briskly to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Amethyst looked at Pearl and Garnet, bewildered. "Umm, what just happened?"

* * *

 **A/N: Thus ending part one! Again, I apologize it's a little slow. The next chapter I'm excited about though! I'll upload it ASAP. Please let me know what you think so far! Review, PM, or even hit that fav button. Thanks again and I'll see you in the next chpater. Buh-bye!**


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